by Julie Bindel for The Guardian
The collapse of the Liam Allan trial doesn’t change the fact that we are in the midst of a rape culture, where victims are disbelieved and don’t get justice.
I once wrote, in an article about how damn near impossible it is to convict a sex offender, that rape might as well be legal. I think we live in a climate where those who make complaints of rape are generally disbelieved, and the men guilty of it are generally excused, or assumed to be innocent.
Nothing has happened to change my mind, not least the news that the Metropolitan police is to review all pending rape cases after the collapse of a second trial within a week because of police failure to disclose evidence that might have undermined the prosecution. The decision has led to suggestions that there is an epidemic of false rape allegations and that the police, desperate to improve lamentable conviction rates in rape or sex abuse cases, are making basic errors with evidence.
Full article here